Dolls and toy figures have enjoyed great popularity among children for many years. Beginning with the simplest and most primitive of hand fashioned dolls and toy figures, the development has progressed to provide a virtually endless variety of such toys and amusement articles. To maintain the popularity of dolls and toy figures, practitioners in the art have endeavored to provide a variety of amusement and entertainment features for such toys. As a result of this effort, dolls and toy figures have been provided which have articulated limbs and body components which facilitate action and movement as well as other related activities such as changing outer garments or apparel or the like. Another active feature in such enhanced dolls and toy figures has been the provision of dolls and toy figures which are capable of changing appearance when manipulated by the user.
An interesting example of a changeable appearance feature doll is found in U.S. Pat. No. 1,341,985 issued to Kemp which sets forth a DOLL includes a partially translucent or transparent outer skin and a plurality of liquid fillable reservoirs within the doll body. The reservoirs are interconnected by coupling tubes. In its preferred form, the liquid is colored to impart a corresponding color tone to the doll's skin in the area of the liquid reservoirs. The user is able to manipulate the doll to transfer liquid between reservoirs and thus alter the color tone of the doll's skin in the reservoir areas.
In the general field of liquid filled toys and amusement devices, a variety of illuminated toy objects have been provided which utilize the combination of a liquid reservoir, a light illuminating the liquid, and a plurality of suspended light reflecting objects often referred to as "glitter" suspended within the liquid. One example of such amusement devices is found in U.S. Pat. No. 4,967,321 issued to Cimock which sets forth a FLASHLIGHT WAND having a handle housing which includes an elongated transparent enclosure. A plurality of light reflecting objects are supported within the transparent enclosure and an illumination source within the wand transmits light through the enclosure to the reflecting objects.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,974 issued to Lew, et al. sets forth an OPTICALLY DECORATED BATON which includes a transparent tube having an active or passive light emitting tube of a smaller diameter disposed coaxially therein. The annular cylindrical space between the transparent tube and the light emitting tube is filled with a liquid having numerous suspended light reflecting particles therein. Means are provided for illuminating the light emitting tube to cause light to permeate outwardly through the liquid and interact with the reflecting particles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,346 issued to Cimock sets forth a TOY FLASHLIGHT having an elongated cylindrical housing supporting a plurality of batteries and a flashlight bulb together with a flashlight reflector. A globe is secured to the elongated housing and includes reflective objects having various colors and shapes therein. A plurality of colored filters are interposed between the flashlight bulb and the globe to impart a selected color to the light illuminating the objects within the globe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,688 issued to Jones sets forth an ARTICLE OF CLOTHING having a transparent pouch secured to the outer surface thereof. The transparent pouch is filled with a liquid representative of a beverage.
U.S Pat. No. 5,010,461 issued to Saotome sets forth a MULTI-COLOR PRESSURE-SENSITIVE ILLUMINATING DISPLAY PLATFORM for exhibiting an object illuminated by a selectable plurality of colors and/or light patterns. A generally planar housing includes a rest surface for the object having a light emitting area upwardly directed therefrom. A plurality of light filters are positioned beneath the rest surface and an illumination source is positioned within the planar base to provide an upwardly directed light beam passing through the filter and the to-be-illuminated object.
While the foregoing described toys and amusement devices provide additional variety and amusement for their respective users, there remains a continuing need in the art for evermore interesting, amusing and enjoyable appearance featured dolls and toy figures.